15. Body Types & Weight

Learning objectives

Learning objectives What we will learn in this presentation: The characteristics of the three extreme somatotypes How different somatotypes are suited to different physical activities How body shape can be altered Definitions of ‘overweight’, ‘overfat’ and ‘obese’ How body fat can be measured How weight can affect performance.

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Somatotypes People come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Body type or physique can greatly affect performance in different activities.

Body type is also known as somatotype.

A performer’s somatotype can be measured against the three extreme somatotypes: Endomorph

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Mesomorph

Ectomorph

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Endomorph Extreme endomorphs have the following characteristics:

A lot of body fat A lot of fat on the upper arms and thighs Wide hips and narrow shoulders Fairly slim wrists and ankles

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Mesomorph Extreme mesomorphs have the following characteristics:

Very little body fat A muscular body Broad shoulders and narrow hips A large head Strong forearms and thighs

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Ectomorph Extreme ectomorphs have the following characteristics: Very little muscle or body fat Narrow hips and shoulders Thin legs and arms A narrow chest and abdomen Thin face and high forehead 5 of 29

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Which somatotype?

All performers are made up of elements of these three extreme somatotypes.

Most people have a mixture of mesomorphic, endomorphic and ectomorphic characteristics.

A person’s somatotype can be graded using a scoring system. They are given 3 scores between 1 and 7, according to how well they conform to each of the extreme somatotypes.

1 is a low score, 7 is a high score. For example:

1, 7, 2 Low endomorph

High mesomorph

Low ectomorph

What would a person with this score look like?

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Mesomorph

Most sports favour the strong, muscular limbs and low body fat of the mesomorphic shape.

The Australian swimmer, Ian Thorpe, has a classic mesomorphic body shape.

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The mesomorphic shape is the most common body shape among elite performers.

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Which somatotype?

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Somatotype charts

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Somatotypes in sport Certain somatotypes tend to be found in certain sports.

The ideal somatotype for a performer will depend on their sport or event. In some cases, the position that they play in a particular sport might also be important.

Consider, for example, the various body sizes and shapes in a rugby team.

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Somatotypes in sport

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Altering body shape Body type is largely determined by the genes you inherit from your parents.

However, you can alter your somatotype by training, or by changing your diet.

Eating more and/or exercising less will increase your body fat, making you more endomorphic.

Weight training will increase muscle size, making you more mesomorphic.

Eating less and/or exercising more will decrease your body fat, making you more ectomorphic.

Dramatically changing your body shape is difficult and can be damaging to your health. Big changes are hard to maintain.

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Weight Every individual has their own optimum weight – the weight at which they are healthy and able to perform at their best.

Your optimum weight depends on a number of factors: Height – In general, the taller you are, the more you should weigh.

Sex – Men usually have a higher optimum weight than women of the same height.

Bone structure – Some people have bigger bones and are naturally heavily built, without being overweight.

Muscle girth – People with big, well-developed muscles can weigh a lot without being overweight.

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Overweight and overfat A person who is significantly heavier than their optimum weight is classed as overweight.

Being overweight is not necessarily harmful as it is possible for the extra weight to be in the form of muscle.

However, if the extra weight is in the form of fat, then the person is classed as overfat. This means that an abnormally large percentage of their body is composed of fat.

Men are overfat if more than 19% of their body is fat.

Women are overfat if more than 25% of their body is fat.

Being overfat can affect your health, increasing your risk of heart disease and other illnesses.

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Obesity Obese people are people who are extremely overweight.

Men are obese if more than 25% of their body is fat.

Women are obese if more than 30% of their body is fat.

Obesity is very damaging to health. As well as heart disease, obese people run a higher risk of diabetes, varicose veins, menstrual disorders, infertility, skin diseases, liver disorders, cancer, joint problems and even depression.

Very obese people can be classed as morbidly obese, meaning that they are so overweight that it is endangering their life.

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Obesity

Being obese does not stop you from becoming a successful performer in some sports. Andy Fordham was World Darts Champion in 2004.

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Underweight Being significantly below your optimum weight can also be bad for you.

The body needs some fat reserves – underweight individuals have a lower resistance to infection and can find it difficult to recover from illness. They may feel constantly tired and bone strength may deteriorate.

Underweight women can have trouble getting pregnant.

It is recommended that: men should not have less than 5% body fat.

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Weight

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Weight charts A rough way to determine whether someone is overweight or not is to use a height-toweight chart.

The results are fairly arbitrary and take no account of muscle bulk and frame.

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Weight charts

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Measuring fat In terms of health, a person’s weight is less important than the amount of fat they have.

Unfortunately, it is quite difficult to measure the amount of fat in a person without laboratory equipment. An estimate can be obtained using skin-fold callipers.

The thickness of the skin and outer layer of fat is measured in four places: biceps triceps subscapula (bottom of the shoulderblade) supra-iliac (abdomen).

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Body Mass Index (BMI) Another way of estimating body fat is to calculate an individual’s body mass index (or BMI).

BMI is calculated by dividing the individual’s weight (in kilograms) by their height (in metres) squared.

BMI =

weight (kg) height2

So, a person who weighs 70 kg and is 1.70 m tall has a BMI of: 70 = 24.2 2 1.70 A BMI of 19–25 is considered healthy.

Over 30 is obese.

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Body Mass Index (BMI) BMI is not an appropriate test for everyone. It is calculated using a person’s height and weight only, so like the chart, the result does not take account of build and lifestyle.

Why do you think that a bodybuilder might be classed as too heavy by a BMI test, despite having very little body fat?

Under what circumstances could a person with too much body fat be classed as normal by a BMI test?

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Weight and performance A person’s weight can have a dramatic effect on their performance in different activities.

In some sports, it is advantageous to be heavy.

Heavy wrestlers can be harder to topple because their centre of gravity is lower.

In some sports it is advantageous to be light.

Being light makes it easier for female gymnasts to keep their balance and control their momentum.

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Weight and performance Being overweight for your activity due to overeating can harm performance.

The heavier your body is, the harder it is to move.

An overweight performer may suffer from: reduced stamina, due to having more weight to carry reduced flexibility reduced agility.

They may also suffer from the more general health problems associated with being overweight, which could affect their participation and performance.

Obese individuals can find it difficult to participate in physical activity at all.

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Weight and performance In some sports, performers may come under so much pressure to lose weight that they become underweight.

Pressure to weigh less can lead to under eating, and in extreme cases, anorexia. This is an illness where an individual is so worried that they are fat, that they starve themselves.

Performers who under eat often lack energy and concentration.

Their strength and stamina may decline.

In sports like boxing or horse racing, in which competitors must be a certain weight, performers may end up using sweatsuits, saunas and even drugs in order to lose weight quickly. These methods can lead to severe dehydration, damaging performance.

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Effects of under eating and overeating

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Exam-style questions 1. a) Describe the physical appearance of a performer with an extremely ectomorphic body shape. b) Give an example of an activity that this performer is likely to be suited to and explain why this activity favours ectomorphic individuals.

2. a) What is meant by a performer’s optimum weight? b) Explain why the optimum weight of a female ballet dancer will differ from that of a male sprinter of the same height.

3. Describe how under eating may affect an individual’s performance.

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